Huge Backlash Forces Group to Cancel Meetings

posted by Sterling Code | 265sc
February 03, 2016

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4 Utah) - A controversial writer has canceled international meetings after a backlash over the content. The meetings were promoting extreme male dominance over women among other things. Sexual assault advocacy groups say it's now putting more light on the problem of rape.

The meetings were going to be held in Salt Lake City and Provo. Supporters were asked to sing up and then go to a location. Once there they were supposed to use a secret password and get a real location for the meeting.

Late Wednesday organizer posted that the meeting was canceled because he could no longer guarantee people's privacy and safety.

For years the organizer has promoted masculine ideas including that women are not equal. He also wrote a post about solving rape by "make rape legal if done on private property."

Alana Kindness, the Executive Director of UCASA, thought the meetings were a joke. After she visited the site and saw those who were agreeing she realized how dangerous it could be.

"They are propagating that they have the right to use violence against women," said Kindness.

Marty Liccardo is the co-founder of Mens Anti Violence Network of Utah which helps support men, women and children who sexual assault victims. He said neo-masculine groups like these are nothing new. He is impressed with the amount of people outspoken against this group especially men.

"I think it's important to show a much larger group in our community think that it's inappropriate and not okay."

He notes the organizer is also an author who writes books on how to pick up women.

Advocates hope this will create a better conversation about the problem of sexual assault, and violence against people.